A Look Through Different Eyes
by xXFu Fu-ChanXx
Summary: kenshin and kaoru still won't confess so it's decided that it's time for a little punishment...
1. Chapter 1: The Conflict

A.N.: OK, yeah, I know you're all going to hate me for writing this. I know, okay. I took that risk by writing it in the first place. I, on the other hand, thought it would be funny. So, I'll be switching back and forth between P.O.V.'s throughout the story, just be warned. Yeah, be warned…Be very warned…eheh…

Disclaimer: Do you actually expect a loser like me to own RK? I don't…

A Look Through Different Eyes  
Part I  
Chapter I: The Conflict

I'm always staring at him like he's just beyond my reach. I don't know why. I could just come out and grab him whenever I feel like it. It's not like some barrier is protecting him. He's always right there. Every minute of everyday…

Wow. Listen to me rambling. It's just that…well…Kenshin's really stupid! Can't he see me watching him? Doesn't he notice that I care for him…more than he probably cares for me…?

Oh my god…What am I saying? Kenshin probably only sees me as a little sister, I'm sure. I guess…that maybe I should try to see him as a big brother. But that's totally weird! I could never picture Kenshin being my brother! Ew! Just imagine it! He may see me as a sister but I could never see him as a brother. Nope. Not gonna happen.

But I suppose that doesn't change the fact that…we can never be…It just wouldn't be right. I can just imagine Yahiko. He would be terrified. No, he'd be mortified, more like it. Aw, how horrible for him.

Now, Yahiko, he's someone I could picture as a younger brother. He can be so cute, especially when I get him mad. The way his face gets all red and he gets all…speechless. So cute…But he can also be a royal brat! I don't think I'm at all as ugly as he says! I mean, I know I'm no beauty, but I'm not a hag either!

Anyway…like I said…Our relationship…Kenshin's and mine…I…I'm over the fact that it's just a fleeting dream…a dream…

(oo)

Oh, the way I catch her looking at me…At times I imagine it being in a romantic way. I, too, find myself dazed and watching her as she works, moves, sleeps…No! I didn't mean that! I most certainly do not sneak by Kaoru's room on purpose at nights when her door is open and I DEFINATELY do not stand there in her doorway watching her chest rise and fall in perfection as she sleeps until I cannot stand any more! What is going through your head?

But I could not possibly do any more than just that. I could never do more than…gaze upon her and be marveled by her beauty…No, I could not. It's just…unthinkable! It is obvious that she sees me as an older brother to her, protective and kind. She could never see me as…as a…No, she's much too…pure. Cliché, I know, but it's true. I could never…love her in the way that I want. This is another great punishment for my deeds of long ago that I can regret during my dying days.

I know that when it is too late I will wish I had opened up and told her my true feelings, even if she were too reject me. I would expect that, but since I'm not going to anyway…I guess you think me a fool, don't you? I don't care, I could never destroy the perfect life she has now. If we had never met…No, don't even think you stupid loser of a rurouni! If I had never met Kaoru…then what? What do I want to say now? What is it that comes next? If I had never met Kaoru…things would be much different. That's all I can come up with for now…

Well, it's true that I love Kaoru, I love her with all of my heart, but it can't work. I must atone for the misery I spread throughout Japan. If I simply go out and do the thing that would make me the happiest…it would be even more to atone for. I would have to atone for abandoning my mission of atonement and that would make her miserable. Another thing I would have to atone for. My sole purpose in living this moment is to atone for past sins. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be living right now.

Sigh…Besides…Think of the age difference! If I were a father I would never let my daughter fall in love with a man ten years older than she is! It's…I just…Sigh…

(oo)

I finished my evening training. It was dark outside Already. I don't know why I decided to train so much today. Even Yahiko got tired out and went to bed before I was even finished. I set my bokken on the rack and strutted casually over to the kitchen where I knew Kenshin was cleaning up after dinner. He was so stubborn. He would never rest…except when I started yelling at him to do so…

I stood there in the doorway of the kitchen and stared at his back as he cleaned up. I stared at the way his red hair moved when he did, at the way he breathed… Then, all of a sudden he turned around.

a/n: plz review!


	2. Chapter 2: Kenshin's Dream

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply for the whole story...

Chapter II: Kenshin's Dream

I knew Kaoru was standing there. I knew she was staring at me, but why? Was there some monstrosity on my back? I was afraid to turn around in case she started laughing at me, telling me of some perversion that I had. Some embarrassing perversion…Oh, what was I worried for? I turned around to face her.

She had a hazy look, like she was daydreaming or something. When she saw that I was facing her she came into focus, "Kaoru-dono?" I said.

"Oh, Kenshin…Um…I'm going to bed, now, so… good-night… Kenshin…"

"Oh, right, of course, then, good night, Kaoru-dono!" I said nervously. I don't know why but something seemed strange that night before we went to sleep. I think I was starting to get restless. It was becoming harder and harder not to spill my guts to her. As she stood there I wanted to run up to her and pull her close, to hold her, to…be with her…

She turned and headed for her bedroom, as did I. My bedroom, of course, not hers…unfortunately…Wait, forget I said that last bit!

I laid down on my futon, staring up at the ceiling. How I wished Kaoru were lying next to me. I pictured her smiling face as I stared up at the ceiling. Sleep was coming. My eyes started to shut and I tried to dream about Kaoru. If I couldn't have her, at least I could dream of having her.

She asked me to love her…No, I told her in my dream, I cannot be with you, though I long so much to love you. I do love you, actually…But I can't…I…

Gee, I sound like an idiot…

Suddenly though, after I told Kaoru this, she started to cry, and where her tears touched, she disappeared. She cried and cried harder and harder until she was completely gone, tears had washed away every inch of her body. I was frozen. I could not move, I was glued to the spot. Something was making me unable to move. I wanted to grab her before she was gone but it was too late. The moment she was gone I was freed, and fear crept over me like mist. It chilled me. I was all alone.

Then, suddenly, I wasn't. Someone was walking up to me through the dark. A woman…

Kaoru? I called, Is that you? Please, answer me!

What a loser I am! I'm making a fool of myself…In my own dream!

But the woman was close enough now. It was…it couldn't be…

Tomoe? W-What are you doing here?

She smacked me. Real hard, too. Right on the cheek that she helped scar those many years ago.

"What the hell are you doing, Kenshin!" She screamed.

Oro! What do you mean, Tomoe?

"Kaoru is in love with you! You're in love with Kaoru! I'm sick of watching you make yourself miserable! I died for you! I gave up my life so you could live! I wanted you to be happy! Now why are you making yourself suffer! God! If I knew you were going to be like this I wouldn't have sacrificed myself! You idiot!" There were tears threatening her now, but she blinked them back and stood up straight, calming down, "Now, you are going to wake up, you are going to skip making breakfast, and skip the laundry…Hey, hey, hey. Don't make that horrified face, just listen. When you wake up you will march straight to Kaoru's room and tell her how you feel. Then you'll make out and be all happy. THEN you'll make breakfast, got it?"

I-I-I can't do that! Kaoru is…I can't be in love with Kaoru! I won't…I don't want to hurt her…like I hurt you…I don't want to make the same mistake. I didn't want you to die…I don't…I'm sorry, Tomoe, I can't do it…

"Hmph! Well, will you ever be sorry! This is MY punishment to you Kenshin! I have watched over you for your entire life after I died, and I'm sick of what I'm seeing! Take this punishment and hope you change your mind about what you've said!" And with that she smacked me again, harder this time, and stood there for a second.

Then she kissed me. Right on the lips! I was shocked, but I let her…knowing that resistance was futile. She pulled back with new tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, Kenshin, but you won't except your love. Take that punishment, and eat your words with it…" She turned on her heel and left me. My eyes shut. Some punishment that was. A kiss. Heh…The dream world around me crumbled as I was starting to wake.

a/n: reviews r grately appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: OK, i heard some complaints that the chappies were too short so i posted like two at once! whee! read on!

Standard disclaimer, btw...

Chapter III: Kaoru's Dream

I left Kenshin in the kitchen and headed to my bedroom where I got changed, got into bed and let myself fall into sleep. It came easily after the heavy training. I guess, now that I think about it, I was training to keep my mind off of _him_. It worked pretty well, too, but stopped working when I did. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him when I saw him in the kitchen a few moments ago.

I dreamt of Kenshin, go figure. I walked up to him and asked him to love me. I don't know what was going through my head but it was a dream, so who cares?

No, he told me, I cannot be with you, though I long so much to love you. I do love you actually…But I can't…I…

Argh! What a jerk! Can't he see that I need him! 

I stared to cry, uncontrollably, and as I cried, Kenshin and the room we were in disappeared from my sight and I was back in my bedroom, where I walked over and sat on my futon, curled up in a ball. I love Kenshin, I said to myself, Why won't he love me back?

Then, all of a sudden, the shoji door slid open and my father stood there, "Kaoru, what the hell are you doing?"

Father? I asked, unbelieving.

"If you love him so much then why don't you tell him! Why do you suffer like this, my Kaoru?"

Father, I started tearfully, He doesn't love me back, at least not in the way I love him, anyway…

"Kaoru, he loves you…with all of his heart. Can't you see the way he longs for you? He wants to kiss you. He wants to hold you. Hold him back, Kaoru. I watch over you Kaoru, and quite frankly, I'm disappointed."

Father?

"I want you to be happy, and you're not at all happy, are you?"

I looked down at my feet, ashamed.

"You will wake up and go to him. You will tell him you love him and won't accept 'no' for an answer. You be the boss, Kaoru, my tough little girl. Then kiss him. Kiss him good. 'Cause believe me, that'll make you happy."

But father I couldn't possibly! He…I…We…We can never be! I just know it!

I started to cry again, "Kaoru," My father said scolding me, "Discipline is part of all training, so be punished for your foolishness now Kaoru." And he smacked me right on the left cheek! Then he kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry, Kaoru, but you must take this punishment and you'll take back what you said in time, hopefully."

He turned and left the room and I laid down on my futon, drifting back into sleep, or actually, waking up…

Part II

Chapter IV: Awakening

I woke up with sore arms. I don't know why. The only one really pushing themselves yesterday was Kaoru, bless her. I lay there with my eyes closed, I knew it wasn't even past dawn yet. I reached up to rub my eyes with the palms of my hands and noticed that my hands were softer than usual. Must have been all the laundry I did yesterday; the suds really help with the roughness. I've noticed that the detergent I use for the clothes is good moisturizer. It's really helped…What? Okay, I'll stop talking about laundry…

Was it just me or did my eyelashes feel longer? I ran my hands down face, noticing as I did that I couldn't feel my scar. It must finally be healing! Kaoru will probably be pleased. She never said anything about it but I think she'd be pleased if it were gone...I let my arms fall to the floor, thinking about the dream I had last night. Tomoe kissed me. It was quite steamy. Ah! What am I thinking? She's dead! I have to go see Kaoru like she said. I might not tell her anything but…it's worth going to see her…

I opened my eyes at last, letting them get used to the light. But wait…That wasn't the ceiling I fell asleep to…I got tense. There was no way someone could have moved me during my sleep. It just…It wasn't logical! I'm an ex-assassin, buddy, I got senses like all the wild animals you here about in stories and such. Okay, stay calm, I told myself. Breathe in, breathe out…Maybe you're imagining it…

I sat up and noticed that I was in Kaoru's room. Now, I don't tend to swear, but what the hell was I doing in Kaoru's room! I hope I didn't sleep walk or something, because she would surely scream if she woke up and saw me next to her. I looked down next to me where I thought Kaoru would be. She wasn't there. But…I looked down at myself and…

"ORO!"

(o.o)

I woke up confused by the dream I had the night before. I decided to do as my father said in my dream and go to Kenshin. I was up early enough so I could probably catch him before he started to make breakfast. I would corner him and I would tell him. I had to or it would be on my conscience forever.

I took a deep breath and noticed that there was an unfamiliar smell this morning. It smelled like…Kenshin…

I rubbed my face, noticing new calluses on my hands from the hard training I did yesterday. I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be, which was good. If I was I would probably have a hard time today with Yahiko. It felt like I had a strange welt on my left cheek, though, it didn't hurt. What could that be from?

I decided to get up and look in my mirror to see what it was, but when I sat up and looked around for it, I noticed, I was in Kenshin's room! Oh, no, did my dream last night make me sleep walk into his room! I did dream that I walked over to his room and told him to love me but…! Oh, if he saw me in his room…! It would be a complete nightmare! I'd have to explain and…!

I frantically looked around and saw that Kenshin was no where in sight. That was weird. If he woke up before me and saw me lying in his bed…I was in panic. Did he already find out and didn't care? Did he already get up to make breakfast? Oh, what a nightmare…I didn't think I could face him…I stood up, and that's when I noticed…

I screamed.

(oo)

I heard myself scream at about the time that I screamed "Oro" in Kaoru's voice. I said "Oro" because when I looked down at myself I noticed I had a pair of something on my chest that I hadn't the night previously…It shocked me, to say the least…I also discovered that I had ebony black hair that was braided neatly down my back. I was Kaoru!

I ran to my room to see myself standing there on the futon in complete and utter shock. I figured it was Kaoru. I looked at myself. No, Kaoru looked at me, but she was actually me. No…Kaoru looked at me in my body! Wait! Argh! Kaoru looked at me and I looked at her, and we both screamed, I in a high pitched scream that was not my own, and she in a lower scream that was. We stared at each other for a long time.

"K-K-Kaoru-dono? Is that you?" I asked in a familiar female voice.

"K-K-Kenshin? W-What happened? Why are we like this! What did you do!"

"Oro! This one didn't do it, Kaoru-dono! This one was wondering if you knew what was going on!"

Kaoru grabbed her hair in fistfuls. Well, actually, it was my hair, but…She let go and smacked herself, no, himself, no myself, wait…She smacked herself on the face hard and started muttering about waking up. Just then Yahiko walked up to us.

"What are you guys doing! You woke up the whole dojo!"

Kaoru looked at him furiously, in a way that I certainly wouldn't look, "Yahiko, you're the only other person in this dojo besides us!"

"Woah, Kenshin, who shoved a pole up you're—"

"Yahiko!" I shouted.

Kaoru's eyes were wide, so basically my eyes were wide…Aw, forget it…"K-Kenshin?"

"Yeah, your name…What's wrong with you, Kenshin? Are you sick or something?" Yahiko asked, frightened.

"Yeah…Yeah, sick or…something…" He…She said, laying back down on the futon, "…Sick…Yahiko? Can you leave Kensh—I mean Kaoru and I alone?"

"'I?' You're not using that dumb 'this unworthy one' thing anymore?" Yahiko inquired.

"Will you leave Kaoru and this one alone for a few minutes then?"

"Sheesh, okay then, lovebirds, do your thing…"

"Lovebirds?" I asked in shock as he walked outside.

"Kenshin? How do we turn back?" Kaoru asked, looking up at me from the futon, "I want my own body back…"

"Um…Well…This one thinks…we should…uh…act like each other until we figure out what to do…There's nothing else that can be done…"

Kaoru sat up again, "So I have to talk like you and everything?"

"Oro…And…I…shall talk like you as well, that I wi--…um…as well…" I tried not to use my annoying speaking habits. It was strange to hear Kaoru's voice come out of me.

Then Yahiko's voice sounded from a distant room, "Oi, Kenshin! Since you're sick does that mean the hag has to cook!"

I looked down at Kaoru sadly as she clenched my fists, "This one is better now, Yahiko!" She said as calmly as possible. Then she whispered at me, "Yell at him, Kenshin!"

"Uh…uh…What's wrong with my cooking, Yahiko!" I said as Kaoru-like as I could sound. I smiled at me…no, Kaoru smiled at me…I'm confused…

AN: so that was the chapter i thought you'd kill me for. yeah, it all starts here...review please


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